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Fryeburg Water Among Tastiest in State

January 02, 2012 - Richmond — Fryeburg's water district was one of the finalists in a water taste-off sponsored by the Maine Rural Water Association (MRWA).

This is good news for the citizens of Fryeburg, who can rest easy in the knowledge that the water they pour from their taps has met the highest standards of water quality.

"They did make it into the top honors class or the top five," said Kirsten Hebert, deputy director, MRWA. "They passed the taste test with flying colors."

For the last 25 years, said Hebert, dozens of water utilities, schools, and community water suppliers have come together to compete for the title of "best water in Maine" as part of an annual conference on water-related issues.

Each competitor sends in a mason jar filled with their finest water. The jars are stored in a refrigerator to ensure that the temperatures are equalized before the competition begins.

Then, a panel of three judges sits and sips water samples from wine glasses as they try to decide which water is the tastiest.

Hebert said that the judges score each water sample on three measures: clarity, odor, and taste.

This year, the judges were Tami Kennedy of the Maine Brewers Guild; Senator Mike Thibodeau, who chairs Maine's Utilities and Energy committee; and Virginia Manuel, state director, USDA rural development.

The panel considered entries from two categories: disinfected, and non-disinfected which is "literally, straight out of the ground," said Hebert.

In each of the two categories, a group of five finalists is honored. The top performer in each category winds up squaring off in a head-to-head, no-holds-barred taste-off in which, said Hebert, anything can happen.

For example, last year, said Hebert, the Winthrop Water District won the disinfected category, but was a heavy underdog in the final heads-up competition.

Surprisingly, the district's treated water won out over nature's purest offerings that year.

"That is not the way it typically happens," said Hebert. "That was the shakeup of last year. We gave the superintendent a lot of grief, and told him 'everyone's going to be gunning for you.'"

This year, order was restored in Maine's water-tasting community when the Madison Water District, which won the disinfected category, fell in the heads-up competition to the Kingfield Water District, which won the non-disinfected category.

What makes for superior water?

"The absence of anything," said Hebert. "It's just a refreshing glass of water. There's no aftertaste. It's something that makes you want another sip."

The two winners received a $100 prize, and a plaque.

The finalists in the non-disinfected category were Kingfield Water District, New Portland Water District, Friendly Village Mobile Home Park in Gorham, Richmond Utility District, and the Bingham Water District.

In the disinfected category, the five finalists were Brownville Village System, Fryeburg, Mars Hill Utility District, Clinton Water District, and Madison Water District.

Other than Fryeburg, the nearest local competitor was a condo association from Newry, which did not make the list of finalists, said Hebert.

Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, Advertiser Democrat, January 2012




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